By Derek Deardorff
Years in the making. Finally here.
In 2026, I walked the land my father had told me about for years — the sites, the stories, the weight of standing where history refuses to stay in the past. This is that journey, documented.
Begin the JourneyStart Here
Recommended Path Through the Archive
Best first pass: Journey → Timeline → Dossier. Read in this order for narrative first, context second, analysis third.
Featured Collections
Pinned for Fast Access
Museum-curated shortcuts to this trip's highest-value lecture archives (44 documents).
A Record, Not a Brochure
My dad took this trip for the first time years before I did. He went back more than once. Every time he came home, he said the same thing: you have to go.
There were years that was not possible. 2026 was the year that changed.
This site is the record of that trip — not a brochure, not a highlight reel. A day-by-day account of the journey, paired with the lecture notes from Dr. Bur at each site: the history, the scripture, the archaeological context that turns a landmark into a legible place.
If you've been, you'll recognize what this land does to you. If you haven't, start here.